High altitude load release



Dec. 12, 1961 B. N. TENNEY HIGH ALTITUDE LOAD RELEASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1960 PARACHUTE INVENTOR. BLAIR N. TENNEY ATToR yE s B. N. TENNEY 3,012,810

Dec. 12, 1961 HIGH ALTITUDE LOAD RELEASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26, 1960 INVENTOR. BLAIR N. TENNEY BY @U W ma ATTORNEYS 3,012,810 HIGH ALTITUDE LOAD RELEASE Blair N. Tenney, Box 97, La Luz, N. Mex. Filed Jan. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 4,831 8 Claims. (El. 294-83) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to load release devices for releasing a load from a support, such as a balloon, and more particularly to a high altitude load release device for quickly and positively releasing a heavy load from a balloon or other elevated support, particularly at high altitudes and low temperature conditions.

An object of this invention is the provision of a power operated quick release device for use in disconnecting a load from a balloon or other support comprising a shackle having a pivoted bolt and a slidable locking pin or lug with an explosive charge for blasting the pin out of the way to release the bolt for pivoted opening action.

A further object is the provision of a crushable material disposed in the bolt in front of the pin for holding the pin in locking engagement between the shackle and the pivoted bolt which is adapted to be crushed by the pin during its forward release movement under influence of the explosive charge when the same is detonated.

A further object is the inclusion of automatically operated means for firing or detonating the explosive at a predetermined elevation to release the shackle and free the load from the balloon or elevated support.

A still further object is the provision of means for easily removing and replacing the slidable locking pin and its crushable retaining means and for renewing the explosive charges or squibs.

A further object includes a threaded holder for the explosive squibs which provides means for replacing the locking pin as well as the squibs.

ther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic, fragmentary side elevation of one adaptation of my invention, for separating an elevating balloon or support from a load at some predetermined altitude;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevation of my improved power-operated shackle showing the same in operative suspended position;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view partly in vertical section, showing the pivoted shackle bolt in locked position in full lines and in pivoted release position in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the shackle shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, more particularly showing the twin squib or explosive charge arrangement in the removable plug holder.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 1 denotes a support or balloon having converging shroud or suspension lines 2 extending to a load supporting ring 3, from which is suspended a load 4, by means of my improved power-operated shackle device 5.

The load 4 may comprise a suitable parachute 6, a load release actuator 7 and a canister or container 8 containing suitable measuring and sending apparatus for determining atmospheric and other conditions during the descent of the canister under the influence of the deployed parachute 6. If desired a break cord or line 9 may be connected between the lower portion of the balloon 6 and the parachute rip cord to cause positive deployment thereof immediately upon release of the load from the ring 3.

In the event that it is desirable to separate the load 4 from the parachute 6 after the load becomes supported by the ground to prevent the'chute from dragging the container, in the event of excessive ground winds, a second one of the power-operated shackles 5 may be employed between parachute 6 and the container 8, together with a suitable ground contact switch and battery at the bottom of the container 8.

The connection between the. load 4 and the shackle 5, as shown, consists of a pair of spaced ears 10 which are apertured at 11 to receive a sustaining pin or bolt 12 therethrough, having a head 12 at one end and apertured at its other end to receive a cotter pin 13, the sustaining pin passing through the body 14 of the shackle 5 which is disposed between the ears 10.

The body 14 of the shackle is somewhat U-shaped, having a rear or first upstanding arm 15 terminating in a bifurcated upper-end 16 receiving a reduced width end 17 of a pivoted shackle bolt 18.

The shackle body 14 has a longer second arm 19 having its inner surface inclining upwardly and outwardly at 20, the upper portion of the arm 19 being somewhat cylindrical as indicated at 21. p

The outer portion 22 of the pivot bolt 18 between the arms 15 and 19 is preferably cylindrical in cross section with its outer end 23 inclined in closely spaced parallel or complemental relation to the inclined surface 26, the other end 17 of the bolt 18 being pivoted to the arm 15 by the pivot pin 24 extending through the arms or ears 16 which has a head 25 on one end and retained in place by a cotter pin 26.

The cylindrical portion 22 of the pivoted bolt 18 is formed with a smooth central bore 27, opening outwardly in alignment with a similar diameter bore 28 formed in the cylindrical head portion 21.

Thecylindrical head portion 21 is formed with an outer enlarged suitably threaded cylindrical recess 29 terminating at the inner end of the recess 28 and receiving a threaded closure plug 30 having a hex head 31. The plug 30 is provided with parallel side by side squib receiving passages 32 in which are inserted a pair of explosive squib cartridges 33 having the circuit wires 34 therefor extending out through the outer end of the plug through the small passages 35'.

The smooth bore 27 extends inwardly from the inclined surface 23 throughout almost the entire length of the cylindrical portion 22 of the pivoted bolt 18 and a lateral vent passage 36 is provided from the inner end of the bore 27, extending upwardly to relieve pressure that may be trapped in the bore as the locking pin or plug 37, which is slidable in the bores '27 and 28, is blasted from its locking position shown in full lines in FIGURE 3 to its unlocking position shown in dotted lines in that figure.

The locking pin 37 is retained in its shackle locking position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 3 by a plug or pellet of compressible or crushable material such as Styrofoam. v The pivoted bolt 17-13 is also provided with a central passage 39 in alignment with the bore 27, which is used to receive a pin, or rod, pushing tool for the purpose of driving the compressed pellet 38 and the locking plug 37 out of the smooth bore 27 after the plug 37 has been blasted out of the way by the squibs 33 to unlock the shackles.

'In the operation, when it is desired to release the load 4 from the balloon 1 the circuit to the squibs 39 is closed through the wires 34. This is preferably doneby an altitude responsive determining device 7 for detonating the squibs, the explosive squibs being detonated, blast the Patented Dec. 12, 1961 locking pin or plug as seen in FIGURE 3, to the left to disengage the same from the passage 23 and the upward pull or thrust on the shackle bolt 18 swings the same upwardly, as seen in dotted line position in FIGURE 3, thus allowing the ring 3 to escape from the shackle and free the load from the balloon 1, the inclination of the Walls 20 and 23 to the direction of the explosion assisting in swinging the bolt. If a parachute is employed, the separation of the load 4 from the balloon causes the break line 9 to be pulled, thus effecting deployment of the parachute 6.

The movement of the plug or locking pin 37 to the left, as shown in FIGURE 3, crushes and compresses the Styrofoam pellet or plug in front of the pin 37 as the pin 37 moves to the left and the pin or plug 37 remains in the unlocked position in the bolt 18 until returned manually, for instance by removing the hinge pin 24, then inserting a driver pin through the hole 39, forcing the crushed pellet and the locking plug or block 37 out through the front or outer end of the bolt 18. The remains of the exploded squibs can also be removed by the insertion of a similar tool through the hole 35.

In order to close and lock the shackle and prepare the same for use the load sustaining ring 3 is placed on the hinged or pivoted bolt 18 (after the hinge pin has been replaced) and the hinge bolt swung down in place as seen in FIGURE 2. The plug 30 is unscrewed and removed and a crushable pellet 38 is then inserted into the bore 27 followed by the locking plug 37 inserted through the passage 28 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 (in full lines). The squibs 33 are inserted in the chambers 32 with their ignition or firing circuit wires 34 extending through the passage 35 after which the plug 30 is screwed home.

The locking plug 37 is thus retained positively in its locking position, half in the bore 27 and half in the bore 28, and prevented from longitudinal movement at one end by the crushable plug 38 and at the other end by the plug 30 until the squibs are fired to drive the locking plug fully into the bore 27, crushing and compressing the Styrofoam pellet and releasing the pivoted shackle bolt for pivoting out of the opening, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3.

My improved squib operated quick release device is capable of releasing an 8,000 pound load from a balloon or plane at altitudes of 100,000 feet and at temperatures of minus 75 centigrade.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes in construction, proportion, and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A power-actuated, load-sustaining shackle compris mg, a substantially U-shaped body having upstanding spaced, substantially parallel first and second arms having adjacent faces for receiving a load connecting ring therebetween, an elongated shackle bolt pivotally connected to said first arm at one end for swinging movement of its free end into and out of the space between the adjacent faces of said first and second arms with the free end of said arm disposed in close proximity to the adjacent face of said second arm when said bolt is in load-sustaining position between said adjacent faces of said arms, said bolt having a substantially cylindrical portion between said arms, said bolt and said second arm having aligned smooth bore passages of similar diameter therein extending toward the pivotal end of said bolt when said bolt is disposed in said space in locking position between said arms, a locking pin slidably disposed. partly in each of said passages when said bolt is in said locking position for retaining said bolt in said locking position and movable out of said bore passage in said second arm toward the pivot of said shackle bolt to release said bolt, an

explosive charge disposed in said second arm in communication with said bore passage at the outer end of said locking pin for blasting said pin out of said bore in said second arm entirely into said bore in said bolt to release said bolt for pivotal movement out of said space to free said load-sustaining ring for removal from said space, said bolt having a vent passage therein extending outwardly from the inner end of the smooth passage adjacent the pivoted end of said bolt for relieving pressure in said smooth bore passage at the other end of said pin when said explosive charge is detonated, and means for detonating said explosive charge.

2. A power-operated, load-sustaining and load-separating shackle as set forth in claim 1 including a crushable material disposed in said passage in said pivotal bolt between the end of said locking pin nearest the pivotal end of the bolt and the inner end of the smooth passage for normally retaining said pin in locking position partly in both of said bores, adapted to be crushed by said pin incident to movement thereof toward the pivotal end of the bolt under influence of said explosive charge when the latter is detonated.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the adjacent surfaces of the outer end of said pivotal bolt and the second arm are inclined outwardly and away from the adjacent surface of the first arm and the axis of the passages in the bolt and the second arm, to dispose said inclined surfaces in outwardly inclined relation to the direction of force of the explosive charge, when detonated, to provide force tending to swing said shackle bolt toward its open load releasing position.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which the adjacent surfaces of the outer end of said pivotal bolt and the second arm are inclined outwardly and away from the adjacent surface of the first arm and the axis of the passages in the bolt and the second arm, to dispose said inclined surfaces in outwardly inclined relation to the direction of force of the explosive charge, when detonated, to provide force tending to swing said shackle bolt toward its open load releasing position.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said pivoted shackle bolt is formed with a small passage extending longitudinally therethrough from the pivotal end thereof into the end of said smooth passage adjacent the pivotal end, in alignment with that smooth passage for the insertion of plunger or probe therein when said bolt is removed from the shackle for pushing the locking pin out of said smooth passage in the bolt when said locking pin has been blasted wholly in said shackle bolt passage.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said passage in said second arm is formed at its outer end remote from the first arm with an aligned concentric enlarged threaded cylindrical recess and said explosive charge is contained in a threaded plug removably threaded into said recess in communication with the outer end of said smooth passage in the second arm, forming removable closure means for that passage to permit the insertion of said locking pin into locking position in said bores.

7. A balloon load-sustaining and separating shackle device for sustaining a heavy load and separating said load from a balloon at high altitudes and low temperatures comprising, a U-shaped shackle having a loadsupporting body having first and second upstanding arms, a shackle bolt pivoted at one end to one of said arms for swinging movement into and out of the space between said arms, the other of said arms and the free end of said bolt having complementary outwardly-inclined cooperating surfaces and an aligned cylindrical bore therethrough extending toward said one of said arms, said other arm having a circular threaded plug receiving recess in its outer side concentric with and having a greater diameter than the diameter of said cylindrical bore, a removable closure plug threadably seated in said recess closing the outer end of said cylindrical bore in said other arm, explosive squib means in said plug discharging into said bore, a locking plug slidable in said cylindrical bore from a position bridging said inclined cooperating surfaces partly in said other arm and partly in said shackle bolt, toward the inner end of cylindrical bore and the pivoted end of said bolt, crushable material disposed in said bore between the said plug and the inner end of the bore for normally holding said plug in said locking engagement with said other arm, and means extending through said removable closure plug for detonat-ing said squib means to blast said locking plug out of locking engagement with said other arm and against the crushable resistance of said crushable material.

8. A power-operated load releasing shackle comprising, a U-shaped load sustaining body having spaced arms for receiving a load connection therebetween, a shackle bolt pivotally connected to one of said arms and swingable into and out of said space between said arms, said bolt having a cylindrical bore extending inwardly from its free end toward its pivoted end, the other arm of said body having a similar diameter bore extending thereinto in alignment with the first mentioned bore when said shackle bolt is disposed in said space between said arms,

a locking pin slideably fitting said bores partly in both I bores for locking said shackle bolt in said space, said locking pin having an inner end disposed in spaced relation to the inner end of said bore in said pivoted shackle bolt, an explosive charge carried in the said other arm in communication with said bore therein for blasting said pin out of said bore in said other arm into the bore in said pivoted shackle bolt to free said bolt for pivotal movement out of said space, and means for detonating said explosive charge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

